The retaste project 15: 2005 Jabbok “Select aged tea”

Alas. That’s it. It looks fine, but it tastes terrible. It starts off sour, with some really weird off notes. There’s no real body. I suspect this tea was made with some really low quality leaves, and then sold. I bought it at the time because I didn’t know any better, and also because it was cheap enough. The guy who made this calls himself “The Professor,” because he’s been invited as a visiting professor at one or two places in China. He has a bit of a reputational problem here in Hong Kong, and I can see why. The tea left such a nasty taste in my mouth I went to something else also immediately after to wash it out. Thankfully, that tea has also been in my storage for the last six years or so, and isn’t turning out badly. At least it’s not me.

This sounds very familiar to me, I think I have bought over 100 puer cakes in my life, and the ones that I have bought in my beginning years were the worst. However, even bad experiences are worth sharing, thanks 😉